Raja sought business community support for jobs for skilled workers

Lahore: Provincial Minister for Labour and Human Resources, Raja Ashfaq Sarwar has said that business women are playing an important role in the promotion of trade, business and economic activities. Business community should support government efforts for ensuring jobs for skilled Pakistanis especially working women abroad, he added.

He expressed these views while addressing as chief guest a advisory consultative meeting held regarding overseas employment promotion under the aegis of Federation of Chambers of Commerce Industry (FPCCI) today. Federal Commerce and Human Resource Development Ministry congratulated first business women Tahira Nasim on getting license of overseas employment promoter.

Former President FPCCI Azhar Saeed Butt, former Vice President Hameed Akhtar Chadda, Vice President Women Chambers of Commerce and Industry Shireen Khan, Regional Secretary FPCCI Muhammad Rafiq Aasi, office-bearers of Chamber of Commerce and Industry from all over the province, businessmen, representatives of industrialists as well as senior officers of Labour Department attended the meeting.

Chairperson Standing Committee Tahira Nasim informed the meeting about the details of increasing possibilities of jobs for skillful and non-skilled Pakistani workers especially women in labour market abroad after getting license of overseas employment promoter, protection of their rights, elimination of exploitation, equal salaries, insurance, jobs according to demand, immigration, ticketing and other factors.

Provincial Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said that Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has started a mega project with a huge amount of six billion rupees for elimination of child labour and rehabilitation of poor, deserving children and women besides a programme with joint fund of one million dollars is also under consideration for providing training to Pakistani labourers according to needs of international market with the collaboration of ILO. He said that skillful overseas Pakistanis play a vital role in national economy. He said that Pakistanis workforce is fully talented and there is a great demand of Pakistani workers in international market.

He stressed the need for minimizing the problems being faced by them in getting jobs, easy remittances, labour migration and making other matters transparent and error free. He said that business community, government institutions, labour and employers will have to adopt collective strategy in this regard. Participants of the meeting sought details about various affairs regarding provision of jobs to professional and non-professional Pakistani workers in foreign countries.

In the end the Minister lit a candle for expressing solidarity with the skilled workers working abroad. A shield was presented to the Minister on behalf of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.